Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)

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Communist Party of Nepal
(Unified Marxist–Leninist)
नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (एकीकृत मार्क्सवादी-लेनिनवादी)
161 / 550
Mayors/Chairs
206 / 753
Councillors
11,890 / 35,011
Election symbol
Party flag

Website
www.cpnuml.org

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (

major parties in Nepal after the end of the Panchayat era
.

CPN (Maoist Centre) led coalition government[10] until withdrawing its support on 27 February. There have been four prime ministers
from the party while the party has led the government five times.

CPN (UML) was the main opposition after the

multi-party democracy. The party led a minority government under Manmohan Adhikari following the 1994 election. The party joined a coalition government with CPN (Maoist) in 2008 in the first elections after the end of the monarchy in Nepal and led two governments under Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal during the term of the 1st Constituent Assembly. The party also led the first government after the promulgation of the new constitution with KP Sharma Oli serving as prime minister. Oli again served as prime minister following the 2017 election.

The party was formed in January 1991 after the merger of the

CPN (Maoist Centre) to form the Nepal Communist Party on 17 May 2018 but the new party was dissolved and CPN (UML) was revived by a Supreme Court decision on 8 March 2021.[11][12] The party claimed to have 855,000 members as of December 2021 making them the largest party in Nepal by membership which later fell down to 550,000 in October 2023.[13][14]

History

Origins and early years, 1991–1993

The

1991 elections, and the United Left Front became inactive.[15]

Man Mohan Adhikari, first party chairman and first UML prime minister (1994–1995).

In the 1991 elections, the party won 69 of 205 seats and was the second-largest party in the House of Representatives.[16] Man Mohan Adhikari was elected head of the parliamentary group, and became the Leader of the Opposition in May 1991. On 28 June 1991, CPN (Burma) which had reconstituted itself after breaking away from CPN (United) merged into the party.[17] The fifth party congress was held in Kathmandu in January 1993, and People's Multiparty Democracy was adopted as its main ideology.[18] The same ideology of People's Multiparty Democracy theorized by Madhan Bhandari made it one of the most prominent political parties in years to come. In the fifth party congress, Adhikari was elected chairman, and Madan Bhandari was elected general secretary.[19] Bhandari was killed in a vehicle accident in Chitwan later that year, and Madhav Kumar Nepal became the party's general secretary.[15] In November 1993, CPN (Amatya) led by Tulsi Lal Amatya, which had also broken off from CPN (United), merged into the party.[19]

First government and split, 1994–1997

After the

no-confidence motion in September 1995. The party was back in the government in March 1997, after supporting the Lokendra Bahadur Chand-led Rastriya Prajatantra Party government. Following dissension in the RPP, Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigned and CPN (UML) returned to the opposition.[16][15]

The party faced its first split in March 1998, after disagreements about a

1999 elections, the party won 70 of 205 seats and was the second-largest party in the House of Representatives.[16]

Reunification and direct rule, 2002–2006

Most members of the

Chandra Prakash Mainali decided to restructure the party.[15] The party's seventh general convention was held in Janakpur on February 1–6, 2003. The convention decided to abolish the post of party chair, vacant after the death of Man Mohan Adhikari and Madhav Kumar Nepal
was unanimously reelected as general secretary of the party.

Madhav Kumar Nepal, Prime Minister (2009–2011)

When

reconvened by the king and a government was formed under Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala.[15]

1st Constituent Assembly, 2008–2012

Former logo of CPN (UML)
Jhala Nath Khanal, Prime Minister (2011)

In the

Ishwor Pokhrel general secretary by the eighth general convention in Butwal
in February 2009.

In early May 2009, the CPN (UML) joined several other parties in leaving Dahal's

UCPN (Maoist).[24] He resigned in August after he failed to reach a consensus with the other parties on drafting a new constitution and the peace process.[24] The party joined the next government, led by Baburam Bhattarai, on 28 August 2011.[25] In November 2012, Ashok Kumar Rai broke away from the party along with other indigenous leaders and formed the Federal Socialist Party claiming that the party failed to address their concerns during the discussions for promulgation of the constitution.[26]

2nd Constituent Assembly, 2013–2017

Following Bhattarai's dissolution of the

Khadga Prasad Oli became party chair after he defeated Madhav Kumar Nepal in the party's ninth general convention.[8]

The new constitution was delivered by the coalition government on 20 September 2015.

Khadga Prasad Oli was elected prime minister with support from the UCPN (Maoist), the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal and other parties.[30] Oli resigned in July 2016 before a motion of no confidence supported by the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre).[31]

In the

major cities, including the two largest cities Kathmandu and Pokhara Lekhnath.[32][33]

1st Federal Parliament, 2017–2022

Left alliance and dissolution, 2017–2018

Former logo of the party

The party announced an alliance with the

Province 5.[37] In accordance with the agreement Sher Dhan Rai, Dormani Paudel, Prithivi Subba Gurung and Shankar Pokharel were appointed as chief ministers of their respective provinces.[38][39][40][41]

In the 6 February 2018

Revival and internal conflict, 2021

On 8 March 2021, the

CPN (Maoist Centre), and by extension the merger itself, was void ab initio, as the name was already allotted to a party led by Rishiram Kattel, and that the NCP stood "dismissed".[47] The Election Commission on 9 March 2021 formally split the party and the CPN (UML) was revived.[12] Four members of the House of Representatives and one member of the National Assembly for CPN (Maoist Centre) also defected to CPN (UML) during the split but were dismissed as parliamentarians following their defection.[48]

KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister (2015–2016 and 2018–2021)

no-confidence motion on 9 May 2021 but was reappointed as prime minister four days later after the opposition failed to prove a majority.[49] Chief minister of Gandaki, Prithvi Subba Gurung resigned before a no-confidence motion and chief Minister of Lumbini, Shankar Pokharel also lost a no-confidence motion but were similarly reappointed after the opposition failed to prove their majority.[50][51][52][53]

A cabinet meeting chaired by prime minister and party chairman KP Sharma Oli recommended the president to dissolve the House of Representatives on 22 May 2021 after members of his party led by former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal supported Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba as the next prime minister.[54] The Supreme Court reinstated the House of Representatives on 12 July 2021 and Oli resigned from his post the next day and Deuba was appointed prime minister.[55][56] Twenty-two members of the CPN (UML) voted for Deuba during his confidence vote defying the party whip.[57]

The party also lost its government in

no-confidence motion and Pokharel resigning.[58][59] Province 1 chief minister, Sher Dhan Rai and Bagmati chief minister Dormani Paudel were replaced in August of that year after losing support within their parliamentary party. They were replaced by Bhim Acharya and Asta Laxmi Shakya respectively who were elected by the parliamentary party.[60][61]

Opposition and splits, 2021–2022

On 25 August 2021, former prime ministers

CPN (Unified Socialist).[62] Following the split, the party lost its majority in Bagmati and Province 1 and Shakya and Acharya resigned following which the party was in opposition in all seven provinces.[63][64]

The

In the 2022 local elections, 11,929 councillors were elected from the party including 206 mayors and rural chairs. The party lost their mayoral seats in Kathmandu and Pokhara and failed to win the mayoral elections in any of the six metropolitan cities in the country.

2nd Federal Parliament (2022–present)

The party formed electoral pacts with

CPN (Maoist Centre) in 2021 also decided to contest the election as independents following dissatisfaction with the electoral pact with People's Socialist Party in Madhesh. The three leaders were later supported by the Democratic Left Alliance during the elections.[76][77] Later leaders including Prabhu Sah and Ram Bir Manandhar formed Aam Janata Party.[78][79]

The party won in 44

The party backed

CPN (Maoist Centre) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's bid to become prime minister and joined a coalition government under him on 26 December 2022. Bishnu Prasad Paudel joined the cabinet as deputy prime minister and Minister of Finance along with three other CPN (UML) MPs but the alliance couldn't last more than 2 months.[81] In the by-elections held in Bara 2, Tanahun 1 and Chitwan 2, the party was limited to third position in all these constituincies and couldn't cross 15% votes in any.[82][83]

Ideology

The guiding principle of the party is

social security and social justice to all citizens.[85]

People's Multiparty Democracy (जनताको बहुदलीय जनवाद)

Symbol

election symbol of CPN (UML) is the sun which is also present in the party logo.[86] The hammer and sickle, a common symbol of communism, is also used in the party flag and logo. The party constitution determines that a golden hammer and sickle inside a red sun is the party's logo.[87]

Organisation

Central organisation

The National Convention is the supreme body of CPN (UML) and it is organized every five years by the party's Central Committee. The national convention elects the central secretariat and the central committee of the party. The convention also discusses and approves political documents, organisational proposals and amendments to the party constitution.[87]

The Central Committee of the party is the highest decision-making body within general conventions and is responsible to the national convention. The National Convention elects a Central Secretariat consisting of a chair, a senior vice-chair, six vice-chairs, one general secretary, three deputy general secretaries and seven secretaries. The Central Secretariat along with other elected members make up the 301-member Central Committee of the party. The chairs of the seven provincial committees of the party are also ex-officio members of the Central Committee. One-third of the committee is also required to be female. The Central Committee also elects a 99-member

Standing Committee among its members.[87]

When the Central Committee is not in session the Politburo is the highest decision-making body, the Standing Committee follows the Politburo in hierarchy and the Central Secretariat follows the Standing Committee. The National Convention also elects a Central Disciplinary Commission, a Central Accounts Commission and a Central Electoral Commission. A Central Advisory Council can also be formed by the Central Committee if needed.[87]

Provincial and local organisation

Party committees exist at the

district, local, ward and neighborhood level. In addition to this the party has a separate special committee in the Kathmandu Valley which is in the same level as the provincial committees in the party. The provincial committee holds a provincial convention every four years and the rest of the committees hold a convention every three years except for neighborhood committees which hold a convention every two years. The convention elects the leadership and members of the committee which is the supreme decision-making body in between conventions. The party also has organisational committees for areas where the party does not have presence yet.[87]

Electoral performance

Legislative elections